On Wednesday evening, members of B’nai Jeshurun synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side gathered in somber reflection.
They were sitting shivah. For real.
You can’t make it up.
JTA reports that what had originally been planned as a post-election prayer event took on a mournful tone after Donald Trump’s election victory was confirmed the previous day. “Senior Rabbi” Roly Matalon opened the gathering, describing it as a symbolic shivah, a space to collectively process the grief many felt in light of the election results. Approximately 100 people attended, including members and guests, greeting each other quietly with looks of disbelief.
B’nai Jeshurun is a self-described “non-denominational Jewish synagogue.”

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Donald Trum

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders called on Friday for the expulsion of the Muslim rioters who attacked Israelis in the streets of Amsterdam. He likened the violence to a “Jew hunt,” and in a post on X, he demanded, “Arrest and deport the multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets. Ashamed that this can happen in The Netherlands. Totally unacceptable.”
Wilders also emphasized that government leaders should be held accountable for their failure to protect Israeli citizens.
The violent episode unfolded overnight on Thursday, when Israeli soccer fans were ambushed and severely beaten by a group shouting “Free Palestine.”
In response, Israeli authorities quickly arranged for planes to evacuate citizens from the city.

In an online post, Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan of University Heights, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, ignited controversy after appearing to single out members of the Orthodox Jewish community and two Jewish council members for their voting patterns in a local election. Although Matzav.com learned that the post was later taken down, screenshots circulated widely, drawing sharp criticism and accusations of antisemitism from community members and beyond.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli airline El Al announced Friday that it will operate rescue flights from the Netherlands to Israel on Friday evening and Shabbat following the overnight attacks on Israeli soccer fans i

President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed his commitment to his campaign promise of a large-scale deportation plan for illegal immigrants, asserting that cost will not deter him.
In his first public remarks since winning the election, Trump emphasized his focus on fortifying the U.S. border, saying it must be “strong and powerful.”
“It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not – really, we have no choice,” he told NBC News.
However, there are significant questions about the feasibility of such a mass deportation effort, as well as the potential legal and logistical challenges Trump would face in trying to implement it.

ISRAEL (VINnews) Psagot Winery, located in the West Bank, has launched a special batch of “President Trump Wine” in Israel.

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant allegedly informed families of hostages held in Gaza that Israel’s military presence in the Strip lacks a valid rationale and that Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is maintaining forces there “out of a desire to stay.”
Gallant’s comments, reported by Channel 12, came shortly before his official dismissal on Thursday evening and the Knesset’s confirmation of Yisroel Katz as his successor. According to the report, Gallant, who was abruptly dismissed by Netanyahu earlier in the week, told the families that Netanyahu alone has the authority to finalize a hostage deal, and that he had unsuccessfully attempted to influence the prime minister’s stance on the issue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his recent election victory, expressing Moscow’s readiness for dialogue with the Republican president-elect. In his first public comments following Trump’s win, Putin praised Trump’s response to an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, describing Trump as having behaved “courageously, like a real man.”